Ravalli County Study Indicates Lyme Contracted in Montana

Posted on by Angela D

Many Montanans know that contracting Lyme in Montana is rare but possible.  Either through knowledge of pathogens and vectors, disease ecology, or personal experience with Lyme disease.

I am quite ‘biased’ on the matter, having contracted Lyme disease.  Multiple patients, some of whom have shared their stories here (with multiple more ready and willing to share with media to raise awareness) share this bias and this experience.

This study examines self reported cases — a beginning step patients feel should be taken by state health agencies immediately.

The results are in: Group releases findings of Lyme disease study in Ravalli County

Concluding their study, the team recommends: 1. establishing a statewide tick surveillance program to discover what ticks reside in Montana and what pathological agents they carry; 2. assuring that state-of-the-art two tier testing for Lyme disease is available and that healthcare providers know of it; 3. encouraging health-care providers to include Lyme disease in the differential diagnosis of the patient with symptoms of the disorder; and 4. participation in meaningful and related research.

A Call for Increased Lyme Disease Research Funding ~ Guest Post By Elaine Hallisey

Posted on by Angela D

Lyme disease is a serious tick-borne illness caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia, corkscrew-shaped spirochetes. Symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes a bulls-eye rash. If not diagnosed and promptly treated with antibiotics, later stage Lyme progresses to increasingly debilitating symptoms. These symptoms may include Bell’s palsy, meningitis, pain and swelling in the large joints, sleep disturbances, and/or Lyme carditis.1 Although CDC estimates about 10 to 20% of patients report continuing symptoms after treatment, or Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), other researchers believe the percentage is higher.

Continue reading A Call for Increased Lyme Disease Research Funding ~ Guest Post By Elaine Hallisey